Machine for skinning tomatoes.



No. 759,773. PATBNTED MAY 10, 1904. J. E. TRIMBLB.

MAGHINBPOR SKINNING TOMATOES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 8. 1903. K0 MODEL. 2 SHBETB-SHBET 1.

INVENTOH A TTORNE rs,

PATENTED MAY 10, 1904. LE. TRI'MBLE. MACHINE FOR SKINNING TOMATOES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 8. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

H0 MODEL.

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Patented May 10, 1904:.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN E. TRIMBLE, OF ALBANY, INDIANA.

MACHINE FOR SKINNING TOMATOES- SPEGIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 759,773, dated May 10, 1904.

Application filed January 8, 1903. Serial No. 138,311. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, J 01m E. TRIMBLE, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Albany, in the county of Delaware and State ofIndiana, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Machines forSkinning Tomatoes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in apparatus for use in removing theskins from tomatoes, and has for an object to provide means wherebysuction may operate in con nection with the perforated bed to draw theskins from the tomatoes and to permit the pulp to discharge with theskin removed; and the invention consists in certain novel constructionsand combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the .drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of an apparatusembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of thesuction-chamber. Fig. 3 is a crosssection on about line 3 3 of Fig. 1,parts being omitted; and Fig. 4 is a detail cross-section on about line4 4 of Fig. 3.

In carrying out my invention I provide a suction-chamber A, which isrepresented as rectangular in form, somewhat elongated, and mountedpivotally at A between its ends, so it may be adjusted to any desiredinclination, means being provided for such purpose and consisting, asshown, of a screw .13, threaded at B in a suitable bearing, swiveled atB to the chamber A, near one end thereof, and having a hand-wheel B bywhich it may be read ily turned to quickly adjust the suction-chamher toany desired inclination. In constructing the chamber A, I may prefer toemploy a framing consisting of angle-iron or steel strips Cand acovering of sheet metal or other substance for the ends, sides, andbottom of the chamber, the top of the chamber being formed of aperforated slab or slabs D, of marble or other suitable material,perforated at intervals with holes of such size as to permit the skin ofthe tomatoes to be drawn through by the suction and the pulp todischarge at the end E, where a suitable chute may be provided, asshown.

As shown and preferred, the slab D is made in two sections lappingtogether at cl, and the sections are perforated with holes (2, arrangedin comparatively close relation, as will be understood from Figs. 1, 2,and 3.

Guard-strips F extend along the opposite sides and project above theslab D and are provided with slots F, in which operate the.

controlling-bars G, the latter being pivoted at G to the guards F andhaving the outer or handle portions G and the inner or turning tion towhich they may be set by the operator. The upper edges of the turningportions of the bars Gr are roughened or corrugated at g, (see Flg. 1,)and a rubber or other flexible strip g projects from the under side ofthe controllmg-bar and bears against the upper surface of the slab D andoperates to scrape all portions of the tomatoes loose from the slab andalso aids the tight pivots Gr in holding the controlling-bars in anyposition to which they may be adjusted by the operator.

In operation the tomatoes after having been suitably scalded, which maybe accomplished by any suitable mechanism, are discharged by a carrier Honto the upper end of the slab D, a scraper H projecting upwardly fromthe slab D to remove the tomatoes from the conveyor H, as is best shownin Fig. 1, and as the tomatoes pass down the slab D by gravity, theinclination of the said slab being controlled in the manner beforedescribed, the tomatoes Will pass over the perforations d and will beexposed to the action of the suction within the box or chamber A, andthe tomatoes will be turned and caused to move from side to side bymeans of the controllingbars, so the suction will be caused to operateupon all portions of the tomatoes and thoroughly remove the skinstherefrom.

Suction is produced within the chamber or box A by a suction-fan in themanner press ently described, and I also provide means for I DOdischarging air above the slab D, consisting, preferably, of a pipe I,leading from any suitable form of compressor or fan and discharging to amain pipe I", which extends longitudinally over the center of the slab Dand has lateral branch or discharge pipes I at intervals perforated todirect the blast of air downwardly on the tomatoes on the slab D, so theblast of air above the slab will cooperate with the suction producedbelow the slab in forcing the skins off the tomatoes and through theperforations I) into the box or chamber, as desired.

Suction is produced within the box or chamberA by any suitable means,that shown consisting of a fan J, operating within a tube K, whichconnects at K with the box or chamber A at one side of the latter, theconnections between the tube K and box A being controlled by the screenL, whose frame M is slidable in suitable guides, as will be understoodfrom Fig. 4, into and out of position across the connection between thetube K and the box A, so the said screen can be inserted and removedwhenever desired.

The fan J may be driven by any suitable motor device or power and isshown with its shaft J provided with a pulley J receiving the beltJ thesaid pulley J 2 and the belt J being incased within the tube K in asuitable housing N, so the liquor drawn from the tomatoes cannot reachthe pulley and cause the belt to slip.

In order to control in a measure the force of the suction exerted withinthe box or chamber A, I provide said box with openings in one side,preferably two in number, and arrange damper-plates O to close saidopenings, the dampers 0 being pivoted at O at one edge and connected attheir opposite edges by alink P, having a handle P, so it can beoperated to open the dampers to any desired degree or to close the same,as may be desired.

At its lower end the box A is provided with a valved outlet at Q for anyliquor that may get into said box, and a manhole may be provided in thesame end of the box and covered by a removable plate R when in use, aswill be understood from Fig. 2 of the drawings.

Manifestly I do not desire to be limited in the broad features of myinvention to the special construction of the suction box or chamber orthe devices cooperating therewith, as shown and described, as these maybe varied without departing from some of the broad features of myinvention. It will also be understood that my invention will be founduseful in removing skins from peaches and other fruit and vegetables andis not limited to use in removing the skins of tomatoes.

It will be understood that in preparing the tomatoes for treatment by myinvention they may be scalded in any suitable manner and will bedelivered to the upper end of the bed in a blistcred condition with theskin loosened on the larger portion of the tomato. It will also beunderstood that ordinarily the tomatoes will be'delivered to the upperend of the slab or bed while still hot; but I do not desire to belimited in the broad features of my invention to this, as in treatingsome fruits and vegetables it may not be necessary to scald or heat thefruit, and my improvement relates to the means for removing the skin asbefore described and as pointed out in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

l. The machine herein described for removing skins from scalded tomatoesconsisting of the suction box or chamber having a perforated slab at itsupper side and provided at the opposite sides of said slab withupwardly-projecting guards having longitudinal slots, thecontrolling-bars pivoted within said slots to the guards and havingtheir upwardly-facing edges corrugated and provided with flexible stripson their under sides, the air-blast devices operating above the saidslabs, the suction devices connected with the box or chamber to producea suction through the perforations of the slab, the damper devicesconnectedwith the box or chamber, a support to which the box or chamberis pivoted, and means for adjusting the box or chamber on its pivotsubstantially as set forth.

2. A machine for removing skin from tomatoes and the like substantiallyas described comprising a slab or plate to which the tomatoes may besupplied, such plate being provided with perforations spaced apartwhereby slab surfaces for supporting the pulp are provided between theadjacent perforations, and means for producing suction down through theperforations in the said slab or plate whereby to draw the skins of thetomatoes through the said perforations substantially as set forth.

3. The combination in amachine for removing skin from tomatoes and thelike of the inclined perforated slab or plate, means for producingsuction throughthe perforations of said plate, and controlling-barsoperating above the plate and adjustable to different positions thereonsubstantially as set forth.

4. The combination in a machine for removing skin from tomatoes and thelike with the inclined perforated slab or plate and the suction devicesof the controlling-bars operating above the slab or plate substantiallyas set forth.

5. The combination in amachine for removing skin from tomatoes and thelike of the inclined perforated slab or plate, means for producingsuction through the perforations of said plate, the upwardly-projectingguards at the opposite sides of the slab or plate, and thecontrolling-bars pivoted to said guards substantially as set forth.

6. The combination in a machine for removing skin from tomatoes and thelike of the perforated slab or plate, means for producing suction belowsaid plate and the air-blast devices discharging above said platesubstantially as described.

7. In a machine for skinning tomatoes the suction box or chamber havinga perforated top and means for producing suction down through said box,combined with supports to which said box is pivoted and means foradjusting the box to different inclinations on said pivot substantiallyas set forth.

8. The combination ina machine for removing skin from tomatoes and thelike with the suction box or chamber having a perforated slab or plateat its top and damper-openings, of damper-plates controlling saidopenings, and connections between said plates whereby they may beoperated simultaneously and means for producing suction below theperforated plate substantially as set forth.

9. The combination in amachine for removingskin from tomatoes and thelike with the suction box or chamber having the perforated slab or topplate, of the controlling-bars arranged at intervals along the said slabfrom its upper to its lower end and adjustable to different anglesrelative thereto substantially as set forth.

10. In a machine for skinning tomatoes a suction box or chamber having aframe of angle metal, sheet-metal side, end and bottom plates coveringsaid frame, and a perforated slab or top plate and means for producingsuction in said box substantially as set forth.

11. The combination in amachine for skinning tomatoes and the like ofthe box or chamber having the slab or plate provided with perforationsspaced apart whereby to provide slab-surfaces between the adjacentperforations to support the pulp, and the suction devices whereby toproduce a suction within said box or chamber substantially as set forth.

12. The combination in a machine for removing skin from tomatoes and thelike with the perforated slab of the controlling-bars operating abovesaid slab and having their edges facing the upper end of the slabroughened whereby to effect a turning of the tomatoes substantially asset forth.

13. A machine for use in removing skin from scalded tomatoes or the likewhich coinprises a perforated bed and pneumatic devices whereby suctionmay operate in connection with the perforated bed to draw the skin fromthe tomatoes substantially as set forth.

14. A machine for use in removing skin from scalded tomatoes whichcomprises a bed arranged at an incline whereby the tomatoes may traveldown the same by gravity said bed being provided with perforationsspaced apart providing surfaces between the perforations to support thepulp and pneumatic devices whereby to draw the skins from the tomatoesas they pass over the bed substantially as described.

15. As an improved means for removing skin from scalded tomatoes, aperforated bed, pneumatic devices operating in connection with saidperforated bed to draw the skins from the tomatoes and devices forshifting the tomatoes laterally upon the bed as they pass thereoversubstantially as described.

16. A machine for removing skins from tomatoes and the like, consistingof a slab of marble, having perforations and supported at an inclinewhereby the tomatoes may be moved down upon said slab over suchperforations, and means for producing suction down through theperforations in the slab whereby to draw the skins from the tomatoes andthrough said perforations in the slab, substantially as set forth.

17. A machine for removing skins from scalded tomatoes and the like,comprising a suction-chamber having a slab covering its top, andprovided with perforations, said slab being supported at an incline, andmeans for producing suction in the chamber whereby to draw the skins ofthe tomatoes through the perforations in the top slab, substantially asset forth.

18. A machine for removing skins from tomatoes and the like, comprisingthe suctionchamber having its top in the form of a slab provided withperforations, means for producing suction in the chamber, whereby todraw the skins from the tomatoes and through the perforations in the topslab, and a main and branch discharge-phpes extending over the slab andadapted to direct a blast of air downwardly toward the slab,substantially as set forth.

JOHN E. TRIMBLF. WVitnesses:

SoLoN (J. KnMoN, PERRY B. Tuarnv.

